Composite pipe



Jan. 25, 1938. -w wm 2,106,404

COMPOSITE PIPE Filed June 25, 1954 Patented Jan. 25, 1938 .UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE COMZPOSITE PIPE Application June 25, 1934, Serial No. 732,299

3 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to composite pipe and the manufacture thereof, and. more particularly to the manufacture of pipe made up of a plurality of pieces or members and adapted for use in a branched piping system. The invention relates still more particularly to header pipe, such as is used in gas ranges and the like, and the manufacture thereof.

It is customary in certain piping installations, such as in gas ranges, to provide a header pipe or conduit through which the incoming gas flows ,and to drill and tap such header pipe at intervals for attachment of the burner connections. The header pipe must have a substantial wall thickness in order that the thread tapped therein may be of suflicient extent to maintain both a structurally strong and a gas-tight joint. However, if the entire header pipe wall is made of requisite thickness to insure mechanically strong gas-tight threaded joints between the header pipe and the burner connections the header pipe will be heavier than necessary under the conditions of pressure to which it is subjected, resulting in waste of metal and unduly high cost of the installation.

To meet this problem it has heretofore been proposed to provide seamless pipe with a longitudinally extending thickened wall portion adapted to be tapped to receive the burner connections. However, production of this seamless pipe has entailed relatively high cost and other problems have been encountered which have not been satisfactorily solved.

In my Patent No. 2,086,125, I have disclosed and claimed the production of header pipe out of a fiat blank or skelp having a portion or portions of relatively great thickness and seaming or welding together the edges of such blank or skelp to form the pipe. Production of header pipe in this manner has certain advantages rendering it much more desirable than the prior methods. However, under some circumstances it may not be desirable to provide a blank or skelp of uneven thickness, and I have now devised a method for accomplishing the same result in a different and highly economical manner and which enables the use of sheet metal which may, if desired, be bent or formed. cold.

I provide a generally tubular metal member or blank having an opening through its wall, and I assemble with such member or blank at said opening an auxiliary member having a portion or provided with means for attachment of a branch conduit and permanently connect said members together in such manner as to permit subsequent attachment of a branch conduit to the auxiliary member. The generally tubular metal member or blank may be of sheet metal, although for certain purposes a seamless or cast blank may be utilized and may have an opening formed in its wall for reception of the auxiliary member. I prefer, however, to utilize a blank having opposed edge portions spaced apart and to connect between such edge portions the auxiliary member having means for attachment of a branch conduit.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of certain present preferred embodiments thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown certain present preferred embodiments of the invention, in which Figure 1 is a transverse cross-sectional perspective view of a header pipe; and

Each of Figures 2, 3, and 4 is a transverse crosssectional perspective view to enlarged scale of a portion of a modified form of header pipe.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown in Figure 1 a header pipe 2 formed from a sheet metal blank 3 and an auxiliary or insert member 4. The blank 3 is preferably a flat elongated rectangular blank and it is preferably bent or formed cold into generally tubular form but with its opposed edges spaced somewhat apart. The auxiliary or insert member 4 may be, for example, a cast or die formed member elongated in the direction of the length of the blank 3 and having opposed flanges 5 underlying upper corner recesses 6. The insert member is of substantial height having a downwardly extending portion 1 of somewhat less width thanthe upper portion. Such member is provided at intervals longitudinally thereof with means for attachment of a branch conduit. Such means in the form shown in Figure 1 comprise screw threads 8. The insert member may be drilled and tapped at suitable intervals longitudinally thereof, the distance between the drillings being determined by the particular use to which the finished pipe is to be put. If, for example, such pipe is to be used as a header for a gas range the drillings will be spaced a few inches apart.

After the blank 3 has been formed into substantially tubular form but with its edges spaced apart it is assembled with the insert member 4 as shown in Figure l with the edges of the blank received within the upper corner recesses 6 of the insert member. The blank and insert'memher are preferably permanently connected together, as by welding, as shown at 9. This not only results in a structurally strong joint but also renders the joint gas-tight. The use of such an insert member enables the wall or body portion of the pipe to be made of relatively thin stock, such as sheet metal, and the insert member in fact strengthens and stiflens the pipe. Although the insert member may be connected with the edges of the blank otherwise than by welding, as, for example, by an interlocking seam, the weld is preferred for the reasons above stated.

The insert member may assume various different forms. For example, another form is shown in Figure 2. In such figure there is shown a portion of a sheet metal blank I0 formed into generally tubular shape with opposed edges ll. Adjacent each of such edges the blank is turned inwardly to provide an inwardly projecting flange 12 extending substantially at right angles to the surface of the blank adjacent thereto and each of the flanges I2 has a foot l3 turned in a direction generally parallel to the outer surface of the blank, such feet l3 extending toward one another and cooperating with the flanges [2 to form a longitudinally extending pocket I4 in which an auxiliary or insert member i5 is positioned. The member l5 may be formed similarly to the member l of Figure 1 but is of different shape, being of generally rectangular cross section and being provided at intervals with threaded openings [6 for the attachment of branch conduits. The member I5 preferably fits snugly within the pocket 14 and has a downwardly projecting reduced lower extremity I! received between the inner faces of the feet [3. This, however, is simply a detail of construction and various other modifications may be employed. The members l0 and I5 are preferably welded together as shown at l8.

A somewhat different type of construction is shown in Figure 3. In such figure there is shown a portion IQ of a generally tubular metal member or blank which may be of sheet metal or of seamless or cast construction. The member I9 is provided at intervals with openings 29, preferably of circular cross section, which may be drilled if a seamless or cast blank is used, or formed as opposite semi-circular recesses in the opposite edges of the blank if a sheet metal blank is used. In each of such openings there is fitted an auxiliary or insert member 2! which fits snugly within the opening and is provided with a downwardly extending generally cylindrical portion 22 internally threaded as at 23. The member H has an outwardly projecting annular flange 2d at its top, which flange overlies the surface of the blank l9 around the opening 20. Each of the insert members 2| is preferably welded to the blank l9 as at 25.

A further modification is shown in Figure 4. In such figure there is shown a blank 26 which may be similar to the blank IQ of Figure 3. Such blank is provided at intervals with openings 2i in which are inserted tapered plug-like members, one of which is shown at 28. Each of the members 28 is inwardly tapered from top to bottom so as to fit by wedging engagement within its opening 21. It is of such size that it passes more than half Way but not entirely through the opening, leaving a portion 29 extending outwardly beyond the outer surface of the blank 26. The member 28 is internally threaded as at 30. It is preferably permanently connected with the blank 26 by welding 3|. The edges of the openings 21 may be spun outwardly to provide a greater surface contact with the member 28.

While I have shown and described certain present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the same is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A composite pipe comprising a generally tubular member of relatively light construction as. compared with thick-walled seamless tubes of comparable size adapted to withstand high pressures, said member having an opening through the wall thereof and having a portion of the material of said member at said opening extending inwardly generally toward the axis'of said member and an auxiliary member having portions for attachmentof a plurality of branch conduits and permanently connected with said member at said opening and embraced by said inwardly extending portion of the material of said member whereby to permit subsequent attachment of branch conduits at said portions of said auxiliary member.

2. A composite pipe comprising a generally tubular member of relatively light construction as compared with thick-walled seamless tubes of comparable size adapted to withstand high pressures, said member having an elongated opening through the wall thereof extending generally parallel to the axis of said member and having a portion of the material of said member at said opening extending inwardly generally toward the axis of said member and an elongated auxiliary member having longitudinally spaced portions for attachment of a plurality of branch conduits and permanently connected with said member at said opening and embraced by said inwardly extending portion of the material of said member whereby to permit subsequent attachment of a plurality of spaced branch conduits at said portions of said auinliary member.

3. A composite pipe comprising a generally tubular member of relatively light construction as compared with thick-walled seamless tubes of comparable size adapted to withstand high pressures, said member having an elongated opening through the wall thereof extending generally parallel to the axis of said member and having a portion of the material of said member at said opening extending inwardly generally toward the axis of said member and thence inwardly toward the center of said opening to form a seat, and an elongated auxiliary. member having longitudinally spaced threaded portions for attachment of a plurality of branch conduits and assembled with said member at said opening and embraced by said inwardly extending portion of the material of said member and seated on said seat whereby topermit subsequent attachment of a plurality of spaced branch conduits at said threaded portions of said auxiliary member, and means at the outer surface of said generally tubular member permanently connecting said members together.

WYLIE B. EWING. 

